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Local veterans gather for fallen soldier

Local veterans gathered at Daytona Beach International Airport on Thursday to greet the remains of a serviceman from Crescent City. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stayce Whipple died Aug. 16 in a motorcycle accident.

Published: Thursday, August 28, 2014 at 11:05 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 28, 2014 at 11:17 p.m.

DAYTONA BEACH

More than four decades ago as Roger Lee Tiffany waited for the body of his brother and fellow soldier to arrive from Vietnam, he and his family stood nearly alone.

So when Tiffany, commander of the Veterans Council of Volusia County, received a call that a soldier’s body would arrive Thursday at Daytona Beach International Airport, he moved into action. It didn’t matter that the soldier was unknown to Tiffany or wasn’t even from the same community.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stayce Lamar Whipple would not depart this world without a final salute from his brothers in arms.

“That will never happen again as long as I’m alive,” Tiffany said. “It’s our job to make sure it doesn’t happen like it did in the Vietnam War.”

After Tiffany put out the call, more than 30 local veterans and supporters arrived at the airport to pay their respects to Whipple, a 47-year-old Crescent City native who died Aug. 16 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Whipple had been stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., before his death.

His funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Crescent City.

“We didn’t even know if it was a male or female who had died or what the cause of death was,” Tiffany said, 69.

“The moment someone puts on their uniform, they are taking a risk and putting themselves on the line for our country. It’s our duty to support them.”

Whipple attended Crescent City High School where he earned the title of “Putnam County Player of the Year” for his achievements on the football team. After attending Cheney University in Pennsylvania on a football scholarship, Whipple enlisted in the U.S. Army and served four deployments to the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned several honors throughout his military career, including the Bronze Star.

The men and women who gathered at the airport Thursday represented 34 local veterans units such as the VFW and American Legion. Some used canes and walkers and stood for an hour in the midday sun waiting for Whipple’s body to arrive.

Retired Army Chaplain Howard Schwartz of Daytona Beach led with a prayer for Whipple’s family while the men and women gathered at the airport gates. As a father who lost his 51-year-old son to cancer in May, he said he could identify with the pain Whipple’s family is feeling.

“As a parent you never expect that you’ll be burying your children,” Schwartz said.

Tiffany then instructed the group to stand side by side to salute the fallen serviceman and wave two American flags.

Tommie Mabe, an 85-year-old Daytona Beach resident who served 23 years in the Marine Corps, welled up with tears as he waited.

The event reminded him of atrocities he saw during tours of duty in Korea and Vietnam and the comrades he lost along the way.

“I get so emotional because I’ve seen so much of this during my time,” Mabe said.

The men and women stood like statues and saluted a gray hearse carrying Whipple’s body as well as a van that contained his family. In less than a minute, the cars were gone and the group dispersed.

Tiffany never got the chance to speak with Whipple’s family, but he caught a glimpse of them through the van’s windows and thought back to 1969 and the return of his brother, Raymond Ellis Tiffany. It was a solemn moment that spoke volumes.

<p><span class="Dateline">DAYTONA BEACH</span></p><p>More than four decades ago as Roger Lee Tiffany waited for the body of his brother and fellow soldier to arrive from Vietnam, he and his family stood nearly alone. </p><p>So when Tiffany, commander of the Veterans Council of Volusia County, received a call that a soldier's body would arrive Thursday at Daytona Beach International Airport, he moved into action. It didn't matter that the soldier was unknown to Tiffany or wasn't even from the same community.</p><p>U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Stayce Lamar Whipple would not depart this world without a final salute from his brothers in arms.</p><p>“That will never happen again as long as I'm alive,” Tiffany said. “It's our job to make sure it doesn't happen like it did in the Vietnam War.” </p><p>After Tiffany put out the call, more than 30 local veterans and supporters arrived at the airport to pay their respects to Whipple, a 47-year-old Crescent City native who died Aug. 16 from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Whipple had been stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky., before his death.</p><p>His funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Crescent City.</p><p>“We didn't even know if it was a male or female who had died or what the cause of death was,” Tiffany said, 69.</p><p>“The moment someone puts on their uniform, they are taking a risk and putting themselves on the line for our country. It's our duty to support them.” </p><p>Whipple attended Crescent City High School where he earned the title of “Putnam County Player of the Year” for his achievements on the football team. After attending Cheney University in Pennsylvania on a football scholarship, Whipple enlisted in the U.S. Army and served four deployments to the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned several honors throughout his military career, including the Bronze Star. </p><p>The men and women who gathered at the airport Thursday represented 34 local veterans units such as the VFW and American Legion. Some used canes and walkers and stood for an hour in the midday sun waiting for Whipple's body to arrive. </p><p>Retired Army Chaplain Howard Schwartz of Daytona Beach led with a prayer for Whipple's family while the men and women gathered at the airport gates. As a father who lost his 51-year-old son to cancer in May, he said he could identify with the pain Whipple's family is feeling. </p><p>“As a parent you never expect that you'll be burying your children,” Schwartz said. </p><p>Tiffany then instructed the group to stand side by side to salute the fallen serviceman and wave two American flags. </p><p>Tommie Mabe, an 85-year-old Daytona Beach resident who served 23 years in the Marine Corps, welled up with tears as he waited.</p><p>The event reminded him of atrocities he saw during tours of duty in Korea and Vietnam and the comrades he lost along the way. </p><p>“I get so emotional because I've seen so much of this during my time,” Mabe said. </p><p>The men and women stood like statues and saluted a gray hearse carrying Whipple's body as well as a van that contained his family. In less than a minute, the cars were gone and the group dispersed. </p><p>Tiffany never got the chance to speak with Whipple's family, but he caught a glimpse of them through the van's windows and thought back to 1969 and the return of his brother, Raymond Ellis Tiffany. It was a solemn moment that spoke volumes. </p><p>“They understand why we are here,” Tiffany said. “This isn't about closure. It's about providing comfort.”</p><br>